New faces nominated for Carlsberg Food and Drink Awards

Ganders Goat Gelato is among the nominees for the Carlsberg Food and Drink Awards

Anna Murby updates us on the Carlsberg Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards…

With a greater number of entries than ever before and a wealth of new companies engaging with the competition, a fresh line-up of county producers find themselves battling it out for culinary glory in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.

The Awards, now in their ninth year, are aimed at celebrating all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues and rewarding those who work so hard within the culinary sector.

The first judging session, staged at The Red Lion in East Haddon (as winner of the Great Service Award in last year’s Awards), saw a panel of judges including Katie Hewitt, Category Manager for spirit and soft drinks at Carlsberg UK and the editor of CAMRA’s What’s Brewing and BEER magazine, Tom Stainer, come together to choose their finalists in the two drinks categories. They are (in alphabetical order within the category):

New Local Drink of the Year:

Burnt Ox Blood – Nobby’s Brewing Co, Thrapston

Dream Catcher – Tea Lab Company, Northampton

Long Apple – Wharf Distillery, Potterspury

Oak Aged Gin – Phipps NBC, Northampton

Saxon Shield – Towcester Mill Brewery, Towcester

Winwick Gold – Healy’s of Winwick, Winwick

Artisan Local Drink of the Year:

Bell Ringer – Towcester Mill Brewery, Towcester

India Pale Ale – Phipps NBC, Northampton

Octane – Silverstone Real Ale Co, Silverstone

Old Nick’s Favourite – Brigstock Brewhouse, Brigstock

Pink Baron – New Lodge Vineyard, Earl’s Barton

Triple ‘F’ Pure Apple Juice – Floyer’s Fruit Farm, Flore

Merrimen Brewing in Litchborough was also awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ for their beer, Merri-ness.

Meanwhile, having already held a longlisting process in the two product categories, the shortlisting session staged at Holdenby House saw a panel of judges including Stephen Davies, Principal of category sponsor Moulton College, Saints and former England Saxons lock, Christian Day, and Food and Health Section Manager at Northamptonshire Trading Standards, Paul Maylunn tuck in to the array of tasty treats. The resulting finalists are (again in alphabetical order within the category):

Artisan Savoury Product of the Year (sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed):

Northamptonshire Blue – Hamm Tun Fine Foods, Hannington

Phipps Firkin – Neneview Dairy, Stanwick

Pilau Rice Kit – Punjaban, Northampton

Pork Pinwheels – Sauls of Spratton, Spratton

Stanwick Blue – Neneview Dairy, Stanwick

Tasty Tamarind Curry Base – Punjaban, Northampton

Artisan Sweet Product of the Year (sponsored by Moulton College):

Dark Espresso Chocolate – Seed and Bean, Corby

Gooseberry and Elderflower Gelato – Ganders Goat, Cottingham

Honey, Lemon and Ginger Marmalade – Nature’s Fayre, Thrapston

Northampton Marmalade – Friar’s Farm, Northampton

Raspberry and Amaretti Crunch Cake – Forget-Me-Not Café, Moulton

Vegan Tiramisu – Flo’s Kitchen, Northampton

Among the new finalists to be celebrating success in being shortlisted are Ian and Lauren Horton from Ganders Goat, an 11-acre goat farm at Cottingham near Corby, who learned of their success on their seventh wedding anniversary: “We couldn’t really have asked for a better present than the news that we’ve got through to the finals of these prestigious awards, especially as we’ve only been producing ice cream from our own goats’ milk for just over a year now” explained Ian.

“We’re absolutely delighted to think that the judges appreciated what we consider to be a really wonderful product and hope that this accolade will mean more people get to hear about us and are encouraged to try our delicious treats!” he added.

For the Awards Director, Rachel Mallows MBE, the line-up of finalists is a great indicator of the current health of the county’s food and drink sector: “I am really thrilled to see that some of our more established firms are continuing to hold their own, particularly as many of them are former finalists and winners, which just goes to show what value they place on the awards” revealed Rachel.

“But I’m equally pleased to see the new names on the shortlists as it shows the talent of business that is coming through, which all helps to create healthy competition and drive up standards as we’ve seen happen so successfully across the sector over the last nine years” she enthused.

The winners and runners-up in the four categories will be decided by a second panel of judges later in the year and the results, along with those of the other categories in the competition, will be announced at the Awards Dinner taking place at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate on 15th November.